Pursuant to decision 17/CP.25, paragraph 3, the secretariat, in an effort to engage Parties early in the budget preparation process, is pleased to invite Parties and observer States to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement to a virtual briefing on the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2022–2023.

Briefing material, including a presentation on the proposed programme budget, will be made available on the UNFCCC budget web page at https://unfccc.int/about-us/budget on Wednesday, 17 March 2021. The secretariat will notify Parties and observer States when this material is available and invite them to submit any questions relating to the material by Monday, 22 March 2021. The secretariat will then address these questions during two live question and answer sessions, chaired by the SBI Chair, taking place on Wednesday, 24 March 2021, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Thursday, 25 March 2021, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., Central European Time, organized to cater to different time zones.

The two live question and answer sessions (briefing sessions) will each aim to cover the same information. After the sessions, the secretariat will compile the questions received and responses provided and post it on the UNFCCC budget web page.

UNFCCC national focal points of Parties and observer States whose representatives are interested in participating in the live briefing sessions should nominate those representatives in the ORS, at https://onlinereg.unfccc.int, by Wednesday, 17 March 2021.